The 3 greatest drives/rides of all time?
Discussion
Any discipline, any era. What are the three most inspiring drives of all time?
Some of my favourites
Moss & Jenks, Mille Miglia 1955
Fangio, Nurburgring, 1957
Bentley Boys, Blue Train Races, 1920s
The Great Air Race, 1934
Road racing, F1, NASCAR, rallying, rallycross, bikes, boats, planes, trains, Segways, whatever. What are your favourites?
Some of my favourites
Moss & Jenks, Mille Miglia 1955
Fangio, Nurburgring, 1957
Bentley Boys, Blue Train Races, 1920s
The Great Air Race, 1934
Road racing, F1, NASCAR, rallying, rallycross, bikes, boats, planes, trains, Segways, whatever. What are your favourites?
Pedro Rodriguez (Porsche 917) in 1970 Brands Hatch (which I witnessed and will never forget) Spa, Austria and Monza in 1970 and 71.
Sadly killed in 1971 driving an ill-prepared Ferrari 512 in some minor, but well paid, German race.
For me I associate the same emotions with this period as some do with Senna, both men capable of super human driving feats, but who had a conviction born of faith, of what will be will be, and as such had no fear.
Apologies to those who cannot see the comparison, Pedro had nothing of Senna's record of achievement and doesnt qualify as an all time great as such. Its in that one car for just one and a half short seasons he drove with such sublime skill and car control. His weakness to that point had been his inability to relate technically to the development of the machinery and earlier he was in his brothers shadow until he (Ricardo) also tragically died.
That day in the BOAC 500 mile race at Brands he drove on a wet track like he hadnt seen the water streaming across the track and lapped the entire field. That race is seared on my memory forever.
(Edited later to show that he was 5 laps ahead of the second place 917 at the finish)
Sadly killed in 1971 driving an ill-prepared Ferrari 512 in some minor, but well paid, German race.
For me I associate the same emotions with this period as some do with Senna, both men capable of super human driving feats, but who had a conviction born of faith, of what will be will be, and as such had no fear.
Apologies to those who cannot see the comparison, Pedro had nothing of Senna's record of achievement and doesnt qualify as an all time great as such. Its in that one car for just one and a half short seasons he drove with such sublime skill and car control. His weakness to that point had been his inability to relate technically to the development of the machinery and earlier he was in his brothers shadow until he (Ricardo) also tragically died.
That day in the BOAC 500 mile race at Brands he drove on a wet track like he hadnt seen the water streaming across the track and lapped the entire field. That race is seared on my memory forever.
(Edited later to show that he was 5 laps ahead of the second place 917 at the finish)
Edited by Ipelm on Saturday 24th January 18:11
Edited by Ipelm on Saturday 24th January 20:25
Edited by Ipelm on Sunday 25th January 11:54
Edited by Ipelm on Sunday 25th January 11:56
I wouldn't care to comment on a race I hadn't watched in the flesh, even less so a race which happened before I was born. In my years of attending, these were my favourites. I'm sure others have pulled off more remakable feats, but without having witnessed them first hand, who am I to say?
- McNish - Audi R8 - LMS Silverstone 2005. He and Minassian both drove out of their skin in the most dreadful conditions imaginable. Mesmerising talent from the best two sportscar drivers in the world.
- Brabham - Panoz Spyder - Le Mans 2000. How he hung onto the Audis through the opening laps I will never know. Just incredible determination. You cold feel the energy from the grandstands.
- Hamilton - GP2 - Silverstone 2006. After dominating the first race, Lewis went from 8th to 1st in Sunday's sprint race including THAT move at Becketts where we were sat. Simply astounding stuff.
- Marshall - Alvis Grey Lady - 2004 Goodwood Revival. How he managed to finish 3rd in that piece of junk I will never know (no offence, but it's not a Mk 1 Jag...).
- De Ferren - Lola - Rockingham Champ Cars 2001. Sat behind Brack all race long until the last lap when he pulled out the perfect lap-long overtake to snatch victory on the finishing straight.
- McNish - Audi R8 - LMS Silverstone 2005. He and Minassian both drove out of their skin in the most dreadful conditions imaginable. Mesmerising talent from the best two sportscar drivers in the world.
- Brabham - Panoz Spyder - Le Mans 2000. How he hung onto the Audis through the opening laps I will never know. Just incredible determination. You cold feel the energy from the grandstands.
- Hamilton - GP2 - Silverstone 2006. After dominating the first race, Lewis went from 8th to 1st in Sunday's sprint race including THAT move at Becketts where we were sat. Simply astounding stuff.
- Marshall - Alvis Grey Lady - 2004 Goodwood Revival. How he managed to finish 3rd in that piece of junk I will never know (no offence, but it's not a Mk 1 Jag...).
- De Ferren - Lola - Rockingham Champ Cars 2001. Sat behind Brack all race long until the last lap when he pulled out the perfect lap-long overtake to snatch victory on the finishing straight.
This to me, is unsurpassed.
'Jim Clark's drive in the 1967 Italian Grand Prix is regarded one of the greatest ever in F1. After starting from pole, he was leading in his Lotus 49 (chassis R2), when a tyre punctured. He lost an entire lap while having the wheel changed in the pits. After rejoining sixteenth, Clark then showed his genius by driving at his own limit, something which was not required when leading.
He ripped back through the field, progressively lowered the lap record, eventually equalling his pole time of 1m 28.5s, to regain the lost lap and the lead. He was narrowly ahead of Brabham and Surtees starting the last lap, but his car had not been filled with enough fuel for such a performance — it faltered, and finally coasted across the finish line in third place.'
'Jim Clark's drive in the 1967 Italian Grand Prix is regarded one of the greatest ever in F1. After starting from pole, he was leading in his Lotus 49 (chassis R2), when a tyre punctured. He lost an entire lap while having the wheel changed in the pits. After rejoining sixteenth, Clark then showed his genius by driving at his own limit, something which was not required when leading.
He ripped back through the field, progressively lowered the lap record, eventually equalling his pole time of 1m 28.5s, to regain the lost lap and the lead. He was narrowly ahead of Brabham and Surtees starting the last lap, but his car had not been filled with enough fuel for such a performance — it faltered, and finally coasted across the finish line in third place.'
Senna in the wet at Donington in 1993. I don't care that it was traction control aided, he was simply light-years ahead of everyone else out there on that track that day, just unbelieveable.
Rossi at Donington in the wet (2006?) on the Yamaha. He was godlike in atrocious conditions, again just the best man on the track on the day making everyone else look useless.
Moss on the Mille Miglia in the Mercedes, the year that he was so much better than anyone else he even had the chance to follow a competitor down the hill in the closing stages with his lights switched off in the dark. Fangio was maybe better at Grand Prix in that era, but in a sportscar, Moss was the man.
As an added bonus, I'd add the Laguna Seca MotoGP race from 2008 between Rossi and Stoner too, I wish it had gone on right to the flag. How Rossi was keeping up with the grunt that Stoner had on the Ducati I don't know, but it was mega to watch.
Rossi at Donington in the wet (2006?) on the Yamaha. He was godlike in atrocious conditions, again just the best man on the track on the day making everyone else look useless.
Moss on the Mille Miglia in the Mercedes, the year that he was so much better than anyone else he even had the chance to follow a competitor down the hill in the closing stages with his lights switched off in the dark. Fangio was maybe better at Grand Prix in that era, but in a sportscar, Moss was the man.
As an added bonus, I'd add the Laguna Seca MotoGP race from 2008 between Rossi and Stoner too, I wish it had gone on right to the flag. How Rossi was keeping up with the grunt that Stoner had on the Ducati I don't know, but it was mega to watch.
Racefan_uk said:
Rossi at Donington in the wet (2006?) on the Yamaha. He was godlike in atrocious conditions, again just the best man on the track on the day making everyone else look useless.
As an added bonus, I'd add the Laguna Seca MotoGP race from 2008 between Rossi and Stoner too, I wish it had gone on right to the flag. How Rossi was keeping up with the grunt that Stoner had on the Ducati I don't know, but it was mega to watch.
I'd say you could easily have a top 5 just from Rossi's races. I remember another one where he was given a 10 second penalty for something (undertaking under yellows?) so he just rode faster until he'd cleared a greater than 10 second lead. Made them all look like amateurs.As an added bonus, I'd add the Laguna Seca MotoGP race from 2008 between Rossi and Stoner too, I wish it had gone on right to the flag. How Rossi was keeping up with the grunt that Stoner had on the Ducati I don't know, but it was mega to watch.
I'd also add Hamilton in this years British F1 GP. An exemplary drive in terrible conditions.
Also, the Audi trio that won this years Le Mans, where they beat the faster Peugeots, which I don't think many expected. McNish had a fighting start and surprised a few and then they just kept up the same work rate for the next 24 hours.
Allan McNish - 2008 Petit Le Mans. From 2 laps down after a crash coming onto the grid, to take the win. Unbeleivable win from one of the best sporstcar racers of the modern era.
Nigel Mansell - 1998 Donnington BTCC. Outstanding drive in what was probably the best period of the BTCC.
Lewis Hamilton - 2008 British GP. Amazing drive in those aweful conditions to almost embarrass the rest of the field.
Nigel Mansell - 1998 Donnington BTCC. Outstanding drive in what was probably the best period of the BTCC.
Lewis Hamilton - 2008 British GP. Amazing drive in those aweful conditions to almost embarrass the rest of the field.
Racefan_uk said:
Moss on the Mille Miglia in the Mercedes, the year that he was so much better than anyone else he even had the chance to follow a competitor down the hill in the closing stages with his lights switched off in the dark.
Are you sure you're not getting mixed up with Nuvolari, there was a very similar story about him at the Mille Miglia as well.My top three drives would be:
1. Senna, Monaco 1988 - Pole by over 1.4s from Prost in an identical car.
2. Fangio, Nurburgring 1957 - Broke the lap record 7 successive times to win after 500km.
3. Bellof, Nurburgring 1983 - Set the unofficial lap record of 6.11 in a Porsche 956 in qualy.
Great drives/rides above. A different ride to mention and to get another bike on here, I'd say Ralf Waldmann at Donington 250cc GP 2000. He was almost a lap down (90 seconds) with only 13 laps to go after taking a gamble to start on wet tyres on a drying track when it started to rain again. He won the race on the last corner of the last lap.
Nuvolari -1947/1948 Mille Miglia. By this time Nuvolari's best years were behind him and his health was fading but post-war he turned in two stellar drives on the course which separates the men from the boys.
Moss/Jenkinson - 1955 Mille Miglia. As above - having driven the course - Moss' achievement is that much greater.
Rodriguez - Brands Hatch 1970. Its been mentioned above but as a Rodriguez fan both this, and his Belgian GP win at Spa rank as his best drives. http://www.timlayzell.com/print_mexican_storm.htm
Moss/Jenkinson - 1955 Mille Miglia. As above - having driven the course - Moss' achievement is that much greater.
Rodriguez - Brands Hatch 1970. Its been mentioned above but as a Rodriguez fan both this, and his Belgian GP win at Spa rank as his best drives. http://www.timlayzell.com/print_mexican_storm.htm
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